Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List
Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to chat with a first year teacher as he planned the rest of his school year. He began the year with the students all learning from home, then his school went to hybrid (which means half were at home and half were in the classroom) and soon he’d have them all in the classroom together.
His questions were standard ones I receive which made me think of some other questions which are frequently asked. Here are some:
1. Do you always warm-up your students? Why?
Warming-up your students will help in two ways–it gives the student a minute to shake off whatever occurred in the hallway or last class and also helps him to focus on your lesson to come.
2. What is a good musical for high school students to perform?
The first thing I need to know is how your administration looks at the theater program? If they are very supportive and want the best for their students (and they TRUST you), then you can take some chances with more adult musicals–with musicals such as West Side Story and Les Mis’ (know that there are very few roles for females in LM, however.)
By and large, I suggest the classics–The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, Music Man and so forth. Why? They are guaranteed crowd pleasers and families will attend because they are familiar with them. Good for everyone’s ego and the box office sales.
3. Can you recommend a good play for middle school students to perform?
I like to produce adaptations of classic books such as Anne of Green Gables, Tom Sawyer, The Miracle Worker, Diary of Anne Frank, Bridge to Terabithia or Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Find out the reasons I suggest Anne of Green Gables here Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables
4. What do you think of improvisation exercises?
I was trained as a professional actress and at that time we did not merely improv. for the sake for fun. Improvisation was used to develop characters or create new art pieces. I don’t dispense improvistion like candy. I like it to mean something (a theme) or practice some particular skill like voice and articulation, for instance.
Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List
5. My students are learning from home. Can your lessons be used in distance learning?
Yes, many of my lessons can be used in distance learning. We have this new cool program on Teacherspayteachers.com called Eastl and it will make any lesson into a digital format.
6. If you could only teach one musical theater unit, which one would you choose?
For obvious reasons, I would teach Hamilton. I mean, how can you go wrong with it? My Hamilton musical lesson is fifty pages and includes everything a teacher might need: procedure, history of the musical, list of song titles, biographies over creative staff, questions and teacher’s key, trivia and ends with enrichment activities which can be done individually or in groups.
7. If you could only teach one radio theater unit, which one would you choose?
It depends upon my mood, but I’m pleased with how all of them came out. The most difficult one is The Frozen Pirate which is best for high school students. It it set in two different ships and has a narrator who is sometimes a character in the story and sometimes merely narrates.
Another one which I’m proud of is my own–Bow Wow Blues. BWB is about a group of bumbling bank robbers in the 1930’s who are outsmarted by some quick witted detectives and a couple of dogs who help them. The characters are broad and easy for middle school students to convey.
8. Do you charge royalties for your scripts?
No, I don’t. I only ask that the person producing the script send me a recording and/or photos of their production for my personal uses in marketing. Bookeeping who is producing which script would be a nightmare for me to track at this point in my business.
9. Do you update your resources?
Yes, constantly! For instance, let’s say it’s announced Lin Manuel Miranda will be performing in a new movie. I go in to all the products where he is included and update the information to include a mentioned of the new movie. Or, a link breaks or vanishes–I go in and find a new one. Or I add a page to a resource which upon second thought makes the produce more useful to the teacher.
10. On average, how many new lessons do you create a month?
I create about two new lessons a month and several new bundles.
Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List
11. I want to follow you. Do you have an email list I could join?
You bet! I’m getting ready to glam up my newsletter in the near future and I think you’ll want to be a part of it. You can join here on this page up above on the right.
12. Are you on Instagram?
Yes, I am very active on Instagram. I speak about different topics there than on the blog. You can find me at DramaMommaSpeaks on Instagram.
13. How about Facebook?
Yes, I am. I share various arts subjects there. Check me out https://www.facebook.com/Dramamommaspeaks
14. Are you ever interviewed on podcasts?
You can learn about them here The Top Reasons to Listen to Podcasts
15. I know Clubhouse is a big thing now. Would I find you there?
Yup! Just search Deb Baldwin.
16. Where could I see some reviews of your products?
You can find review of my products here Dramamommaspeaks
Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List
17. On average, how pages are your lessons?
Most lessons are around 15 pages in length.
18. On average, how days’ long are your units?
Some units are three days in length and several are three weeks long.
19. Do you have drama lessons for elementary students?
Yes, although not as many as I’d like. I create lessons where the interest is–meaning if a lot of products which are purchased for the month seem to be for middle school, I will make another middle school lesson that month.
20. Do you have drama integration units?
Yes, I have readers theater and play scripts which are perfect for drama integration. Here’s a blog post about drama integration, too. How Do I Use Arts Integration in the Classroom?
21. Who writes the music for your short plays?
My husband of thirty-eight years composes the music. He is an award-winning instrumental music teacher, taught for forty years and composes as well.
22. What is the price range of your materials?
Some products are $3.50. The most expensive product I have are bundles which lasts a semester or even a year. They are around $100.00
23. Do accept suggestions?
For things to add to a product or if something needs more clarification? Yes, but I’d rather the person emailed me than put it in a review. It confuses the next buyer.
24. If a teacher wants a particular lesson which you have not created, will you develop it for them?
Yes, I create lessons for teachers on occasion. The lesson becomes my sole property, but I give the person acknowledgement in the lesson for their idea.
25. How long does it take to create a radio theater script?
It takes about sixty-five hours to write a script. There is no playwriting template for a radio theater script, so I must set up every page by hand.
26. Do you have any lessons about people of color?
My Famous Theater Artist Biographies and One Pager Assignment include many people of color–Denzel Washington, Audra McDonald, August Wilson, Camille A. Brown, etc. Here is a blog post concerning my thoughts
27. Do you have lessons about technical theater?
Of course! Everything from costume to set design. Here is one: Set Design Fairy Tales
28. What’s next for you?
Oh…..I can’t tell you yet! Just make sure you join my email list, look for my free products coming out soon and some other great plans.
I hope these answers help you. Please feel free to contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or my website at DeborahBaldwin.net
